Somewhere Out There
by ThriLLer89
Summary: After a chance meeting, Arnold and Helga discover that maybe there's more than meets the eye; and perhaps love and hate are one in the same. Fate brought them together and now only they can tear themselves apart. /AU/
1. Loathing

**Holy CRAP! Can it be? I'm actually _alive?_**

**I realize I have been gone for an ungodly amount of time now without any explanation. There were several contributing factors as to WHY I was gone so long. At the end of last year (in early November) I became very, VERY sick. After about two weeks I ended up in the hospital and diagnosed with a severe case of pneumonia. I spent a long period of time in the hospital recovering (and breaking two ribs from coughing in the process). It was the worst ordeal I've ever experienced in my life, honestly. I wouldn't wish that upon even my worst enemy. (to this day I still wheeze if I laugh)… to make a long story short: the recovery process was long and painful. During this time period I had NO desire to pick up my laptop and write, and I hope you all can understand that.**

**ANYWAY…. (enough with my sob story!) haha**

**As for _this_ story; it takes place in an alternate universe.**

**A word of caution to the readers of this story; they will most likely _seem_ out of character during a few parts of this thing (_mainly_ on Arnold's part). Their lives have been altered (meaning Arnold and Helga have never met before) so in turn they've become semi-different people. (but they're still the characters we all know and love deep down inside!) I found it very interesting to explore the possible outcomes for these two without one another to influence the situations they face in their lives. I just hope you all feel the same way I do while you read this! (I understand that AU stories can sometimes be a drag)**

**Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys _my_ take on Hey Arnold in this alternate universe… it's certainly a little twist on our definition of reality.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold!**

* * *

_"I just pray my problems go away if they're ignored, but that's not the way it works… No that's not the way it works."_

**Relient K - _"When I Go Down"_**

* * *

_**Prologue:**_

Tonight had been the final straw. It felt like hours he had battled with himself to keep his sanity on the cusp of "_normal_" as he paced around a now seemingly cold and empty space he once called his own. His hair had become unruly from his sweaty palms and unforgiving grip. There was a nearly silent whisper on his lips, reassuring himself of what exactly he didn't know. Maybe there was hope for what was to come? No, he knew that couldn't be. Hope was a gift to those who had the audacity to believe in something better. He had lost that blind innocence long ago, back when dreams were worth having and faith in the impossible was abundant. With that thought still fresh in his mind, another wave of panic and nausea fell over him and he found himself rushing over to the nearest toilet and dry heaving for several minutes. Once the nausea subsided, he fell back against the tile wall with a thud and cupped his face in his hands and took several deep breaths. "_Calm down_" he repeated like a mantra. "_This isn't you_… _this ISN'T you_!" All of his life, he was never really emotionally unstable or excessively strange. So who was this person he had suddenly transformed into?

He carefully hoisted himself back onto his shaky feet and stumbled over to the bathroom mirror. What he found staring back at him wasn't the person he knew to be his usual reflection. Pale skin from lack of sunlight, dark bags under his eyes that could hide no secrets of his insomnia, even his green eyes were washed out with no trace of their former mirth. He gave his reflection a hard stare and gripped both sides of the mirror on the medicine cabinet, "Look at you…" his fingers grew tighter and tighter around the edges of the mirror and caused a creaking sound in the aging metal. "You're _pathetic_." It took only one harsh tug for the mirror to come off of its hinges. He repeatedly smashed the mirror on the side of the sink, causing shards to go flying and erasing the harsh image of the shell of a person he had slowly let himself become. He left the bathroom still in a blind rage with himself, but more than anything, he was still confused with what was going on in his head. What was he supposed to do now? What was left here for him? In his heart, he knew this was a crossroad he was bound to come across in his life. Stay… or go? Did he really want to stay here and feel the suffocation he had been suffering the past few months? But could he really leave this life behind? In the back of his mind, he could hear himself screaming "_There's nothing worth staying for_!" That was the answer he needed. With his mind made up, he decided the quicker he left, the easier it would be for him. No long goodbyes or drawn out hugs. He _needed_ to go… he had to. All of his essential belongings easily fit into two suitcases, the final item being packed was a framed photo of two people he loved dearly. On his way to the front door, he stopped at the kitchen table and scribbled a note for anyone to find. As the final touch for his departure, he tossed his cell phone on the table next to the note. As he made his final journey towards the train station, he felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from him, a new sense of freedom and adventure pumping through his veins with his old life and home fading in the distance. A rare smile graced his lips as a familiar voice echoed in his head,

"_your destiny is waiting for you somewhere out there, Shortman_."

* * *

**_**16 months later**_**

It was times like this that Helga hated working in a bar. There was some sort of car show taking place that weekend, so _all_ the pig headed morons within a 100 mile radius had flocked into town and decided to hunker down at the local bar and grill conveniently located two blocks from the convention center and the surrounding hotels. The only perk of the extra flow of people was the tips she'd get. If she batted her eyelashes a bit and smiled at the half drunk college boys, they'd leave her a fat tip in hopes that she'll give them a little _extra_ attention. It wasn't exactly how Helga enjoyed earning money, but at least with this job it meant she didn't need her father's money to survive.

"If you're into trying new things, I suggest 'sex on the beach'. It's _delicious_." Helga made a show out of leaning against one of the tall tables while taking the order of three men in their early twenties. All three sets of eyes raked over her form like she was a piece of prime rib. She knew she was being blatantly misleading to them, but what did she care? Money is money. If they paid her fairly, she'd give them their innocent little show.

"You really know how to work that '_hot blonde_' angle, don't ya Pataki?" Patty, her boss, chuckled in amusement as she mixed three 'sex on the beach' cocktails for Helga's table. "You are literally the only person I know who could get three grown men to order a prissy girl's drink."

"What can I say? Men are easy to deal with." she glanced over her shoulder at the table of guys still watching her. She wiggled her fingers at them with a wave and a mocking smile. All three of them instantly waved back. "See what I mean Patty? A smile, and a wave, and then _boom_, instantly brain dead."

"Yeah, Harold was the same way when we met back in elementary school. I always thought it was because he was immature… but then I slowly realized he's just a guy." she set the three drinks on Helga's tray and slid them down the bar towards her. "Are you going on your break after that table?"

"Yep." she picked the tray up and balanced it in one hand, "I'm in _dire_ need of one of Harold's burgers. Can you send the order back to him so it'll be ready when I get finished here? I'll just eat at the bar." Patty nodded, wiping her hands on her apron before going through the double doors that lead to the restaurant portion of the building to go talk to her fiancé. Much to Helga's delight, the three guys left a hearty tip along with one of their phone numbers when they left. The joy of a fat wad of cash in her pockets was somewhat lost on Helga though. The next week after the car show, everything would be back to normal and the bar would have its usual ups and downs and Helga would be forced to scrape together money for food and rent. Despite her struggles, she was _extremely_ thankful for the meager job she had now. Patty and Harold were good friends to her and helped her as much as the young couple could. They gave her this job when she was fresh-faced and new to town two years ago and helped her find her current apartment.

Helga found brief solace in her break from work, finally getting to sit down and view the layout of the bar area from a customer's perspective. It was still pretty packed full of people chattering away and drinking to their heart's content, but one table in particular caught her attention. It seemed to be a young couple sitting on the same side of the table, the girl was animatedly talking about something and waving her arms about with extra oomph. The guy was slightly hunched on the table with glazed over eyes and a demure look on his face probably caused by the extra attention the girl was giving him. She would subtly touch his thigh as she laughed and she would lean into his shoulder, trying to elicit a laugh from him as well. After spending so much time in a bar surrounded by all sorts of people, Helga had narrowed their situation down to an awkward first date. Nobody looked that uncomfortable with someone they knew well. The guy looked absolutely _miserable_.

Helga had seen this scenario many times before, but usually the guys are more than happy to have a hot girl hanging all over them. She couldn't help but feel a little pity for that guy. From what she could tell, this girl had to be a real piece of work. She was beautiful, there was no doubt about that, but something about her didn't sit right with Helga. She almost seemed _snotty_. The more she watched the two of them painfully interact, the crazier it drove her. It wasn't uncommon for Helga to 'graciously' interfere and help recycle the snobby chicks that men always seemed to drag in here. "Alright, enough is enough. Time to put this guy out of his misery." she pushed herself away from the bar and stood up. She had taken her apron off at the start of her break and was currently in her regular "street clothes", so she looked like a customer. Helga rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck, before walking over towards the table on the other side of the room; stopping just shy of it and making a big production out of gasping in shock. The couple at the table turned their heads to see who was causing the commotion. "What is _this_?" she marched up to their table and slammed her hands on the wooden surface. "You're seriously _cheating_ on me?" her eyes fell on the girl and angrily narrowed her eyes, "with HER? HOW COULD YOU?" she turned her gaze back to the suddenly wide-eyed man, his mouth had fallen slack and hung open loosely. He had never seen this girl before in his life! Before he could respond to her claims, he was violently smacked on the arm by the girl at the table.

"_Excuse_ me? What the HELL!" she placed another smack on his arm and stood up from their table. "You're a real piece of work, you know that Arnold?-" Helga's ears seem to perk up at this, loverboy had a name to go with the face. "You could have at least told me you were dating someone else BEFORE we went out!" Helga watched their exchange with both hands on her hips in one of those ridiculous 'sassy' poses, still feigning anger at the situation. His unhappy drinking companion mimicked her pose and glared at Helga, obviously appraising her appearance. "You know what? I don't need this shit." she grabbed her bag from the table, smacked him over the head with it, as she stomped by the both of them. She practically broke the door off its hinges when she slammed it shut behind her. The moment the girl was out of sight, Helga visibly relaxed, re-adopting her casual composure.

Arnold was another story entirely: he was still in shock and looked slightly mortified at what transpired. It startled her when their eyes finally met. He seemed to be struggling with what exactly he was supposed to say. His mouth opened and closed several times before settling on keeping it closed. Helga decided to help him out one last time, "You know, her whole 'dramatic exit' will be totally moot if you don't at least _attempt_ to chase her and act like you give a shit about what she thinks of you." once again she placed her palm on the table and leaned a little closer to him and tapped his chin with her index finger, "By the way, I'm breaking up with you." she felt the thrill of excitement run through her as she walked away without bothering to throw another glance back at the poor sap. "Later, Casanova."

Arnold felt frozen in place for several more seconds before reality came slamming back to him, and he realized he was suddenly alone in this bar. He threw a twenty on the table with haste and grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair. As he maneuvered through the people to get to the exit, he caught another quick glance at the intriguing girl who randomly decided to push her way into his personal life. She was tying an apron around her waist before going behind the counter at the bar. Despite the insanity that had ensued, he smiled to himself and opened the door that lead out into the chilly October night that was awaiting him. For the first time in a long time, he didn't feel so glum about going home alone, and… Dare he say he felt some kind of misguided joy caused by that pretty bartender's random mischief? It made his insides soar and he didn't want to let that feeling go, because for the first time in years, he was actually _feeling_ something again beyond uncertainty. Now that he had a taste of it, he knew he had to feel that rush of joy again, no matter how minuscule it was. He _needed_ it.

At least he had _something_ to look forward to…

* * *

**_**Two weeks later**_**

Helga's premonition about her workload proved to be true. The past week had been a complete drag. The weekend of the car show had been so hectic and busy, then one week later, the bar had been reduced to practically a ghost town. On the really slow days, Patty would send Helga into the kitchen to 'help' her fiancé, but in reality, she was sent back there to mess with Harold until he cracked. Patty and Helga made bets on how long it would take him to blow a gasket. It was silly and juvenile, but nothing thrilled them more than hearing Harold screaming something about a 'Madam Fortress Mommy' and throwing pots around the kitchen.

Tonight was already proving to be the beginning of another restlessly boring shift. Rain was falling loudly against the outside awning and the wind was blowing hard enough to cause the street signs to sway. To make a long story short; hardly anybody would be in the mood to go out for a drink on an evening like this. Helga still had five hours until her shift ended at 1am. She had two customers sitting at the bar and nobody sitting at the tables. When Patty emerged from the restaurant, she gave Helga her 'I need a favor' face.

"What is it?" she cringed.

"Two of Harold's boys called in sick tonight. It's getting backed up in the kitchen and he needs an extra set of hands to help with garbage detail. Everyone else is working the line tonight and-"

"So you need good old Helga to take out Harold's trash?" her nose crinkled in disgust. "That sounds all together aesthetically unpleasant."

"It'll take you twenty minutes tops, Helga. You know I can't leave the bar unattended that long or else I would do it!" Helga would never admit it out loud, but she often found herself fearing her boss. Patty was one woman she would _never_ mess with. When she asked Helga to do something, she would do it without much of a fight. The last thing she needed was to be thrown around like a rag doll by a much taller, bulkier woman.

"Alright, alright! Crimeny… I'll do it." she gave her boss a mocking bow before going into the restaurant to collect the bags of trash to take them out to the big garbage in the alley. The bags were sitting near the back exit in a huge pile almost just as tall as the door itself. "_Oh fuck me_." her palm collided with her forehead. Those industrial-sized garbage bags probably weighed 50 pounds each, Helga somehow doubted that carrying them would be simple for her 115 pound frame. She didn't have time to sit around and complain about the logistics of it though, she had a job to do. She gripped the top of one of the bags and tugged it forward with a grunt, finding it easier to shimmy the bag along the linoleum floor until she reached the door. When the bag touched the rain soaked cement outside, she was forced to finally use what little strength she had to hoist the top of the bag at her shoulder, leaving the rest of it hanging down her backside. Oddly enough, she felt like an emaciated Santa Claus in this position.

The garbage cans were located at the end of the alley near the street and a good 25 feet from the back door of the bar. When she reached the halfway mark there was an audible thump that could be heard over the rain falling all around her, she looked down and saw that she was leaving a trail of garbage behind her. The bag must have ripped during all that dragging. As if on cue, the bag ripped open entirely and all of it's contents came spilling from the bottom. "God dammit!" she crouched down to assess what exactly she'd be cleaning up. She wasn't about to just stick her hands in other people's trash. She was flustered and irritated at this point and bemoaned Patty to the highest degree for making her do this crap. She had hardly noticed someone had been hovering over her for the past ten seconds.

"You look like you could use some help-"

Helga let out an ear piercing scream of terror and fell straight on to her rear end, soaking her jeans with rain water in the process. "WHAT THE FUCK?" she glared up at her assailant, who happened to be holding an umbrella over her. "GO AWAY!"

"Whoa, whoa! I'm not gonna hurt you or anything." he held his hand up defensively and took a small step away from her. It took her several moments before she realized she had seen this guy before. She remembered something about a bad date and a bimbo. "I'm sorry if I frightened you. I saw you struggling with that bag right before it fell apart and I-"

"So you were _stalking_ me?" she spat with venom. Despite her wet jeans, she stood up to glare at him.

"What? _No_! I-… look, uh… This isn't going how I pictured it would." he was becoming tongue tied the more he spoke. He shook his head roughly to regain whatever sense of composure he possessed. "okay, let me try this again; my name is Arnold." he held his hand out to her, expecting her to meet him halfway and return the same courtesy. He was gravely mistaken when his hand was left in mid air and empty. He awkwardly retracted his hand and rubbed the back of his neck with it. "Um… I'm not really sure if you remember it or not but we sort of met a few weeks ago, well… not really _met_ necessarily, but-"

"I remember you _Arnold_. Now if you don't mind, I'm in the middle of something." she gestured to the mess scattered around the alley. "Get lost."

"I'm sorry if I've interrupted you, but in all honesty I was actually seeking you out to thank you for what you did. I've been going through a really weird time for a while and it's been-" his well practiced speech he had planned for her was interrupted by her palm flying up and stopping a few inches from his face.

"Stop right there bucko. I don't want your gratitude, nor do I want to hear whatever sob story you've come here prepared with. _Everyone_ has a sob story, and quite frankly I would rather worry about myself. So do us both a favor and get lost and most importantly: LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Arnold was a bit perplexed. He had been imagining how their next encounter would go for the past two weeks, and having her barking orders at him was _far_ from how he pictured it. What happened to the rambunctious girl he'd met before? He found himself getting a bit agitated with her, "You know, you're kind of rude."

"Ouch. You've wounded my soul." her hand fell over her heart. It didn't take a genius to see she was being sarcastic. "Let's get one thing straight: the girl you _think_ you met in the bar _isn't_ the same person you're talking to right here." she pointed harshly to the ground to emphasize the boundaries of the bar and the outside world, "Do you seriously think I'm some bubbly bimbo who passes out cocktails and free ass grabs? If you were expecting to see little miss sunshine, go inside and pay me to give a shit about your pathetic attempt at banter. Got it?"

The scathing look in her eyes set something off in Arnold. It suddenly became clear that she was being difficult with him just for the sake of being difficult, it was almost as if she was _challenging_ him. Arnold grinned to himself. She wasn't like everyone else in his life who treated him like some sort of porcelain doll who needed to be treated with care, she was even being downright _nasty_ to him. He figured if she had _truly_ wanted him to leave, she would have kicked him in the balls and been on her merry way. She was obviously testing him in her own weird way, seeing how far he would go just to even speak to her… it was almost like some sort of twisted game. He didn't know how he was able to decode whatever wall of defense she had put up, but now that he cracked the code, the idea was suddenly very enthralling to play along for his own amusement. He wondered if she thought he would give up?

"I got it." he took a few steps back, indicating his departure. "Have fun with the trash."

Helga wasn't quite sure what he meant by that comment. She didn't care either way. In the end it took her well over 40 minutes to completely finish cleaning up her mess and taking the other bags out. She was soaking wet and irritated, this night couldn't end quickly enough. Patty was still stationed behind the bar when she came back inside, she was taking someone's order and chatting idly with them. Helga silently and sullenly brushed past her to grab a towel and dab some of the rain water off of herself.

"Took you long enough to come back." Patty moved behind her to grab a bottle of liquor just as the bell above the door gave out a familiar jingle sound that indicated someone coming inside. "Take their order would ya?" both of their heads turned to see Arnold plopping down on a bar stool with a smug grin on his face. Patty paid no mind to their new customer and continued on her previous mission to pour a drink. Arnold fished a twenty out of his wallet and fanned the air with it, mockingly luring her.

Helga took a deep breath and calmly walked over to where he was sitting. "_What can I get you_?" she spoke through tightly clenched teeth. She never wanted to punch someone so badly in her life. Helga had always had to deal with clingy men in the past who took her work demeanor the wrong way, but she never had one that _wouldn't_ take the hint and fuck off after she verbally berated them. She couldn't figure out what he wanted!

"What's your name?" he was still smiling, cocking his head slightly to the side.

She stared blankly at him for a moment before her face fell into a scowl. "Nope. I don't do names Arnoldo. Just forget about it."

His eyebrow quirked up in amusement, "_Arnoldo_?"

"Would you rather I come up with a name based on the unusual shape of your head?" her eyes narrowed.

He found himself subconsciously touching his head as if he could somehow make it less oblong. "Arnoldo works just fine for me." he realized then that she was trying to distract him, "So why won't you tell me your name?"

"Are you going to order something or what? I don't have all night bucko."

It was obvious that this girl was one tough nut to crack. He couldn't even get a _name_ out of her! Arnold didn't come over here tonight to bicker with this girl and listen to her snipe unpleasantries at him. For reasons unknown, however, it didn't really bother him that she wasn't some happy go lucky "perky" blonde. This girl had a chip on her shoulder and had no problems expressing it to everyone who looked at her the wrong way. He _liked_ that she was real with him, and honest. It gave him a new distraction from the normal thoughts that usually plagued his mind, which was why he came looking for her tonight. Maybe it was a long shot and maybe he was an idiot for thinking it was possible to get in her good graces, but Arnold couldn't resist falling into her strangely enticing gravitational pull. She was deceitfully beautiful, he couldn't deny that, but more than anything… he just wanted a normal friend.

He slid the twenty he held in his hand across the counter towards her, keeping his hand over it so she would still listen to him like she promised. "I want you to know that I didn't come here tonight to make a pass or ogle you. I came here because you did something kind for me that you really didn't have to, and maybe you didn't realize just how _much_ that would effect me… but it did. A lot." when she began reaching for the twenty anyway he pulled it back slightly, "I honestly didn't think people did any random acts of kindness anymore, myself included… but what you did? That _was_ kind in your own weird way even though you may not entirely understand why. Maybe you think I'm some sort of weirdo for coming here tonight to thank you for what you did, but I couldn't ignore it." his eyes fell to the glossy hardwood counter to avoid her judgmental gaze, "So thank you…"

"Helga? Do you have an extra-" Patty stopped short when she spun around with a livid expression on her face. Helga couldn't even find the gall to turn back towards Arnold, knowing he probably had a gigantic smirk on his face.

Arnold's bar stool made a scraping sound against the floor, but she still refused to look at him. "See you around… _Helga_." She didn't validate his jab with a response, her shoulders only tensed until she could hear the jingle of the bell as he left.

"Who was _that_?… He was kinda cute." Patty wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Helga finally glanced over her shoulder towards the door and narrowed her eyes in disgust. She saw the twenty dollar bill he had held in his hand was still sitting on the bar, waiting for her. "That… was _trouble_."

* * *

**Thus ends chapter one of this… train wreck. haha**

**Everyone who got a sneak preview of this before I posted it was VERY curious as to what _exactly_ happened to Arnold. Some answers may be more obvious than others, but rest assured there's always more to the story than what we initially see. **

**Also, I feel the need to bring up the subject of "Head On Collision". The story (as of now) is on a hiatus. I'm not saying I'll NEVER finish it! But over this past year I've failed to make even the slightest bit of progress on it. The inspiration was lost somewhere! I have most of the story planned, but it's just not written... maybe sometime in the future I'll feel the urge to write for it again, but until that time comes I hope you can all forgive me for kinda leaving you hanging. BUT- I promise you all that I won't stop writing in general. I've always got ideas floating around!**

**Thank you ALL for sticking with me after all this time.**


	2. One question haunts and hurts

**I'm baaaaaaack! **

**So far the response as been very positive towards this story, and I'm really glad none of you were TOO freaked out about Arnold's behavior. **

**And thank you for the well wishes. I'm doing MUCH better now, and I'm totally ready to immerse myself back into fanfiction. So be prepared! haha**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold!**

* * *

_"Underneath it all you'll always have this war inside yourself…"_

**Yellowcard - _"For You, and Your Denial"_**

* * *

**_**Three weeks later**_**

It had grown so quiet here, he noted. Most people found some sort of peace in silence. But it was always times like this that Arnold found himself growing more restless than usual. The sound of a wall clock ticking seemed to be the only noise filling his nearly empty bedroom. Arnold sat perched on the edge of his bed with his chin resting on his fist, staring across the room at the only physical piece of proof that Arnold even _lived _here; an overturned picture frame. Occasionally he would try to set it up when he was having one of his good days, but most of the time he found himself forcefully taking it and slamming it face down on his desk, too attached to it to put it away, but yet too afraid to keep it in plain sight to remind him of all the things he couldn't bear to think about.

Despite the dark cloud that seems to loom over him, Arnold had felt a slight lift in his mood lately. He even found himself humming a happy tune the other day during his newfound weekly trip to Berman's Bar and Grill. He knew that Helga deeply despised him for inexplicable reasons, but there was something about that fiery bartender that Arnold couldn't seem to stay away from. She intrigued him, but more importantly she made him _feel_ again… the silence he feared ceased to exist when she was near him.

Suddenly feeling bold, Arnold stood up from his bed to stand in front of the spot where the picture frame remained face down against the wooden surface. It had been several weeks since the last time he tried to look at the picture inside the frame. With a shaky hand he reached out towards the object as if he was reaching for a feral animal. His fingertips had barely touched the cool metal frame before he retracted his hand with haste. His brow furrowed angrily as he tightly closed his eyes, "_Stop it._" he growled, slowly opening his eyes and setting his sights back on the picture frame. Why was he making this so hard for himself? It was just a picture! His hand shot out once again and grabbed the frame, sitting it upright before releasing it from his grasp as quickly as possible before he changed his mind. In the blink of an eye he saw two familiar faces smiling at him for the first time in far too long. His heart was simultaneously melting and breaking at the sight. He gently ran his finger over their faces, trying desperately to feel some of their warmth he kept safe in his memories.

An all too familiar twinge of sadness and pain ripped through him before he could reach that happy place he desperately needed to be. He had to place his hands against the desk to steady himself and take several deep breaths. "_Don't do this. Not now!"_ he hissed at himself, inhaling sharply and holding his breath until his heartbeat slowed to a normal pace and his panic attack began subsiding. He hated feeling this way every time he saw their faces… He knew deep down that they would be disappointed in him and everything he's managed to put himself through because he couldn't overcome his own inner demons. He had _literally_ lost himself…

The door to his bedroom opened without warning, startling Arnold and causing him to stumble away from the desk. "_There_ you are man! I've been checking every room in this place!" Gerald, his best friend since childhood leaned casually against the door frame, studying Arnold with an apprehensive look. "You're seriously staying in _here_? What about your old room?" When Arnold didn't say anything for a few moments his gaze eventually traveled to the picture frame sitting on the desk.

Arnold broke the silence with forced enthusiasm, rubbing his hands together and grabbing his jacket from the back of a chair, "Ready to go?"

His eyes narrowed slightly, aware of what Arnold was doing; _Avoiding_. Just like always. "… Yeah."

With Gerald leading the way they left Arnold's makeshift room and headed down the hallway towards the stairs. Arnold followed behind him but stopped just short of the stairs, scrambling back to his room for one last order of business. "_I'm sorry._" he whispered, taking the picture frame and setting it back to its original face down position before running after his best friend.

* * *

"You're _serious_?" Gerald wildly waved his hands at the building the were standing in front of. "_Berman's_? You think Berman's should cater my _wedding_?" This had to have been some kind of sick joke Arnold was playing on him. Gerald's fiancé entrusted him to find the right place to cater their wedding, and after a string of disappointing interviews and taste tests Gerald found himself without a caterer.

"I really am serious Gerald! I've talked with one of the owners recently about your predicament and she says her fiancé knows upscale food. Their catering menu is flexible! Can't you just… hear them out?" he smiled hopefully at him. "They're also willing to do the open bar for the night. How much more could you ask for?"

It was obvious that Arnold was hell-bent on Gerald giving this place a real shot. He hadn't seen him this passionate about anything in a long, _long_time. "Alright, man… I'll trust you on this one. But I'm not committing to anything until I talk it over with Phoebe!"

Arnold's grin grew even wider, "Awesome! Come on, they're waiting to talk with you. They have menus for you to check out and stuff for you to taste." he grabbed Gerald's arm and dragged him through the entrance.

Helga was on her lunch break, sitting in one of the empty booths in the back of the bar and reading a novel while idly nibbling on a basket of fries. She could vaguely hear Patty chit chatting with a customer at the bar, but other than that it was pretty peaceful. Business as usual was slow for a Tuesday evening and Helga already couldn't wait to get home. She was constantly irritated at work lately because of that _weird_ man who kept randomly showing up every week trying to talk to her. She tried telling Patty to ban him from the establishment but she refused, stating that he wasn't actually doing anything wrong and that Helga was just being a "crabby pants" to the poor guy. She would aptly reply with "_poor guy? MY ASS_!", and they would both comment no further on it. She figured Patty found great joy in watching her become so flustered by his persistence to be near her. Helga knew better than to go mooning over a pretty face paying attention to her. He wasn't exactly implying that he _liked_ her that way during their brief exchanges. She didn't understand what _exactly_ he was seeking from her, and _that's _what confused her the most.

"_Hey Patty!_" Helga nearly jumped a foot in the air at the sound of Arnold's voice, harshly bonking one of her knees on the underside of the table.

She threw her book down on the table and hobbled across the room. "HELL no! Get out of here!" her index finger pointed towards the door he just entered from. She briefly noticed that he wasn't alone today but she chose to ignore it. "It's bad enough that you come once a week, but I _refuse_ to make this a biweekly ritual of suffering! And I-"

"_HELGA_!" she turned her attention over to Patty who looked absolutely livid. "Mr. Johanssen is here to inquire about our catering service for his upcoming _wedding_." Helga's eyes instantly widened, finally taking note of the person standing behind Arnold. He was a tall, handsome dark skinned man who couldn't be any older than Arnold. At the moment he was staring at Helga as if she had four heads.

Arnold saw her demeanor change in the blink of an eye, "Pardon me… I'm sorry about that." she took a few steps away from the three of them.

"Oh no you don't!" Patty's finger gestured for her to come back. "Arnold needs to talk with you."

"_What_?" Helga's signature snarl returned.

Before Helga could continue her rant, Patty cut her off with a simple glare. "Mr. Johanssen, if you'd like to join me in the dining room." she gestured to the swinging doors that lead to the restaurant.

Gerald seemed hesitant to leave Arnold with this crazy woman, but Arnold gave him a reassuring nudge and smile. "It's cool."

Arnold and Helga watched Patty and Gerald leave the room. The moment the swinging door was closed, Helga began another tirade. "What the _hell_ is going on? Is it your new life mission to annoy the living hell out of me? Do I need a restraining order or WHAT?"

"I'm not _trying _to blatantly annoy you Helga. I'm trying to be friendly… but I don't really think you're willing to see that just yet-"

"FRIENDLY?" she seethed. "You come here every week and try and make stupid banter with me, and for _what_? You know I don't want you bothering me! Why do you keep coming back? And why the HELL did you bring one of your buddies here for catering? Are you trying to drive me up the fucking wall?" her fists landed angrily on her hips. Instead of seeming afraid of Helga he smiled at her. She didn't know what to make of this character. Was he really this insane? Or was this an act?

"You're different, Helga… I like that. I find you interesting to talk to, even if you're raving mad at me while you're doing it. And despite what you say, I seriously think you find some sort of entertainment with me around-"

"You shut your mouth right there _football head_!" Arnold's eyes widened at her new nickname for him. '_Football head_'? That was certainly a first in his lifetime. "What makes you think I enjoy this ridiculousness?"

"Because it's fun." he grinned, taking a step closer to her. She almost instantly took another step back. "Keep in mind that you started all of this first Helga…" his eyelids fell into a half lidded gaze, _daring_ her to tell him he was wrong about the night she shoved her way into his personal business for her own amusement. For the first time since they met, she didn't lambaste him. Her brow was furrowed in frustration but she didn't say a word… He had caught her in her own game. She _hated_ when someone outsmarted her. Feeling loads more confident he sat down on one of the bar stools and motioned for her to follow. It took her nearly a full minute of contemplation before she complied, sitting one chair over from him. She hadn't yet figured out why she was even humoring him at this point. "Anyway, the reason I wanted to talk to you is because I was hoping to hire you to be the bartender at Gerald and Phoebe's party in a few weeks. It's going to be a big shindig with all of their friends. Instead of doing a traditional bachelor and bachelorette party they agreed to do one big party instead."

Helga's first instinct was to scream 'HELL NO!' and stomp away, but the more logical part of her brain reminded her that she desperately needed the cash to pay her rent. There was no way she could turn this down. "How much money are we talking?"

He set his elbow against the counter and casually leaned closer to her, "$200"

"No dice. $300."

Just as Arnold had anticipated, she was being difficult. "$250"

She shook her head, "$300"

Both of them were surprised when he rose from his chair and gave Helga a hard stare, "$250 or I'm walking."

If there was one thing Helga knew how to do better than most people, it was how to deal with men like _him_. Of course, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out how to get your way with minimal effort. Helga got up from her chair and walked over towards him, setting her hands on his shoulders and cocking her head to the side. "$250 hardly seems fair now, does it?" The moment Helga got up from her chair and willingly came towards him Arnold had already caught on. He watched her apprehensively as she smiled and batted her eyelashes at him. Did she really think he was _that_ stupid?

One of her hands began reaching up towards his face, and in a moment of panic his hand shot up and grasped her by the wrist before she could make contact. She let out a girlish yelp, not because his grip had harmed her but simply because it shocked her that someone had the audacity to actually _touch_ her. "Despite what you may think about me, Helga…" he tossed her hand back at her side, "I'm not like everyone else you've been able to manipulate with your methods of flirtation in the past. I'm not stupid and I'm not blind. My offer is $250 and I'm not budging." he narrowed his eyes and stepped close enough for Helga to get good look at the details of his face. She could also smell the distinct scent of his aftershave. "I could have suggested _anywhere_ in town for Gerald to look for a caterer… I chose here… I'm _trying_ to help you guys get more exposure and also keep you afloat because I _like_ coming here, and you guys seem like awesome people who deserve a real shot. Also, I asked Patty specifically if she'd loan you out at her discretion for a night to bartend at the party… I want _you _to do it, Helga-"

"But-!"

"_Shh_." he placed his finger directly above her lips without touching them. "I heard you and Patty discussing the trouble you've been having paying your rent the last time I was here-" before she could scold him for eavesdropping he finally placed his finger on her lips so she wouldn't speak, she immediately removed it from her mouth with a spat of disgust. "Look… you're surprisingly good with customers despite your… _normal_ disposition otherwise. Gerald has dozens of male friends who would be completely enamored with you if you were their bartender for an evening. You don't _need _three hundred dollars from me. The tips would stack up way beyond anything I could ever give you and it would surpass anything you'd make here in one night… Are you following me?"

Helga tilted her head slightly to the right and gave him and indiscernible look, "_I think you're forgetting one little detail football head_." she grabbed his collar and gave him a rough and deliberate shake "I DON'T need you, and I _don't_ need your charity!"

It took him a moment to recover from her violent outburst. He calmly removed her hands from his shirt, still refusing to back down despite her wrath. "I'm not offering you charity. I'm offering you a chance for you to help _yourself_. Instead of ripping my head off why don't you take a second to consider what this could do for you? I'm not going to fall to my knees and _beg _you to do this..." Helga blinked and stared at him blankly as he began moving towards the swinging doors that lead to the restaurant. "You're the author of your own fate. All you have to do is decide which direction you're going and put the pen to paper." She didn't get a chance to reply before he slipped through the door. She also couldn't see the grin plastered on his face. Arnold found these mental games with Helga rather thrilling, and this was one of the first times he truly felt like he had the upper hand on her. All he could do was hope his method worked. Gerald and Phoebe's party would be _torture_ without her double personality there to entertain him.

He found Gerald and Patty sitting at a private booth with several plates of food scattered on the table. "Hey, man!" Gerald grinned. Arnold could only hope his enthusiasm was a good sign. "You were _not _kidding about this place. I really think we found a winner. Have you ever had their steak? _Hot damn_!"

Patty chuckled at that, "Harold will be more than appreciative of your enthusiasm. He takes pride in his cuts of meat."

Arnold suddenly felt extremely hopeful, "So does this mean what I think it means?"

Patty and Gerald exchanged glances before he nodded enthusiastically, "I'm bringing Phoebe in two weeks to check it out herself so we can start planning the menu."

"That's fantastic Gerald! I'm glad things worked out." he clapped his best friend on the back and smiled.

Patty offered her deepest thanks to Gerald for his patronage and gave him a firm handshake. The two of them began making plans for their next encounter, Patty writing all the details in her planner as she walked them to their car parked out front. As they were saying their goodbyes Patty placed her hand on Arnold's shoulder, "By the way, how did things go with Helga?"

"Well-" he began.

"Arnold!" everyone turned towards the front of the restaurant just in time to see Helga barreling through the door. With all eyes glued to her she suddenly felt sheepish for making such a prominent entrance. She cleared her throat and casually straightened out her already pristine clothing, "I need to talk to you."

Patty had a pretty good feeling she knew what was going on. She also cleared her throat, slowly backing herself towards the door. "I should probably be getting back inside. I'll be in touch with you Mr. Johanssen."

Arnold saw that Gerald was staring at Helga like she was part of a creepy circus sideshow. Arnold already had a hard time convincing him that Helga was the right person for the party, and her erratic behavior had only made him second guess Arnold's choice that much more. Arnold nudged his shoulder and gave him a pointed look. "Right… I'll just… wait for you in the car, man."

The two of them watched Gerald until he closed the car door behind himself before Arnold focused back on Helga. He leaned casually against the car and raised his eyebrows, "So what can I help you with?"

"Oh cut the crap Arnoldo. You know what's up!" she poked him harshly in his chest, "I agree to $250. I'll do it." Helga glared at him darkly when he began grinning like an idiot. For the second time that day she roughly grabbed his collar and slightly startled him, "_Don't_ think that I don't know what you did Arnold- You manipulative little _punk_! The only reason I'm not killing you where you stand is because I did the same thing to you first." her grip tightened as she pulled him closer, "Don't be under the impression that you'll ever be able to manipulate me again. I will not hesitate to strike you down. Are we clear, football head?"

It drove Helga _crazy_ how calm he seemed after such a threat. He merely nodded his head and bit his bottom lip, "_Whatever you say, Helga_."

Gerald could see the two of them from his side mirror but wasn't completely able to hear everything they were saying. He didn't really understand what Arnold saw in this woman that made him so convinced she was worth his time and energy. From the looks of it she downright hated him! He audibly gasped when he saw her grab Arnold by the collar to undoubtedly give him a piece of her mind. It felt like hours he watched her menacingly glaring at his best friend, even _he_ felt tense just watching! They exchanged more words before she finally let him go with an exasperated huff. What happened next shocked Gerald more than anything; she dug around in her apron to produce a pad of paper and scribbled something down on it before handing it to Arnold. He also clearly heard her distinctly say; "_Call me._"

"_I'll be damned_." he shook his head in disbelief. She also muttered something unintelligible to him, to which Arnold responded with a gentle touch to her shoulder. This made Gerald raise his brow is surprise. Since when did Arnold start being touchy feely with people again? His eyes squinted briefly at the mirror he was watching them from, the irony of the text on the mirror was not lost on him:

"_Objects in mirror are closer than they appear_"

* * *

After their encounter with Helga earlier that afternoon Arnold seemed to be in an _extremely_ good mood despite being manhandled by a 5 foot 6 blonde woman. Gerald had agreed to stick around and help Arnold with some renovations to the boarding house, and Gerald couldn't help but notice his best friends sudden chipper behavior. He didn't know _how _to react to Arnold humming '_you are my sunshine_' with a smirk on his lips while he painted the hallway a cheery pastel yellow color.

Maybe it was best to _ask_ Arnold about this whole Helga thing, he just had to do it the right way. "_So_…" he dipped his paint roller once again and moved to a spot closer to Arnold. "Did you get that crazy chick to agree to bartend at the party?"

He seemed to slow his movements slightly, "You mean _Helga_?" He corrected him. "Yeah… I did."

"Wow, from the way you talked about her I didn't think she'd agree to do it for only a hundred bucks."

Arnold stopped painting completely and winced, "Well…"

"Arnold, you _didn't!" _When his best friend remained silent he let out a hiss of discontent, "Oh geez. How much did you offer that crabby loon?"

"Somewhere in the ballpark of $250-"

"WHAT? Have you lost your damn mind, man? That girl _despises _you! Why would you ever even think to pay her to stick around and give you hell?"

"She's not _so_ bad Gerald… The more time I spend around her the more I'm convinced that there's more to her than her blustery exterior shows-" his brow furrowed when he looked over at Gerald, who was currently giving him a weird look due to his choice of words. "What?"

"I thought I was just being paranoid before… but _man_, how did I not notice?"

"Notice _what_ exactly?" Arnold felt himself growing irritated. He focused back on the half painted wall and began applying more. His brush strokes came out a little harder this time around, he only hoped Gerald wouldn't notice his sudden roughness.

"I know you've been spending pretty much all of your free time inside that bar… I thought maybe you were becoming an alcoholic or something, but that's not it at all… is it?" Arnold was purposefully focused on painting and full on ignoring Gerald's questioning stare. He knew he was essentially ignoring him. Gerald decided to press on anyway, "… You _like_ her."

There was a sharp intake of breath followed by the sound of a paint roller hitting the sheet that was laid out at their feet. "_Excuse me_?" he blanched.

"To put it in layman's terms-" his hands came up to make air quotes "You '_like her-like her'.._."

"And who are you to judge something like that from 5 minutes of observation?" The venom in Arnold's voice made Gerald take a step back in surprise. After all this time it was still hard for him to accept that his best friend wasn't the placid and peaceful person he once was. "You don't know _anything_ about what I do or don't feel, so I suggest you stop insinuating things that you're obviously clueless about." It became very apparent that Arnold was no longer _just_ talking about his unanswered intentions with Helga. They stood there silently for another moment before Arnold leaned down to pick his paint roller back up, "I can finish this by myself, okay? You can go now."

Gerald slapped the paint roller from Arnold's hand and glared at him, "You're _not_ doing this. Not to me! You don't get to have a fit of rage and blame it all on me because you're too damn wrapped up in your own inner demons. I _want_ to be there for you Arnold! I want my best friend back! The one I could tell anything to… and the one who told me everything-"

"I have nothing to say." he muttered darkly. "Do you think I came back to Hillwood to share my feelings with you? To sit around and '_hug it out_'? I came back home to kill two birds with one stone; fulfill my obligations as your best man, and to finally sell the boarding house. I'm not staying, Gerald… I can't."

"Can't, or won't?"

The tension in the room was becoming unbearable. Neither one of them moved a muscle, and for a moment Gerald was afraid that Arnold would start throwing punches. "Just… _go_." the intensity of his glare softened, "I need some time-"

"To pack up and run away again?"

Arnold reached out and harshly slapped his shoulder, "STOP IT! I made a promise to you a _long_ time ago that I would be your best man. I fully intend to keep that promise… But for the love of god; PLEASE stop trying to make me '_open up_' to you."

"Arnold-"

"You'll always be my best friend… But I can't talk to you the way we used to. It only frustrates me!… All I see when you look at me is pity. _Everyone_ looks at me that way…"

Everything suddenly became extremely clear to Gerald. It all clicked into place, "Everyone except _her_." the moment the words left Gerald's mouth he saw Arnold shift uncomfortably… he was right.

"She's… the first person to make me forget. And when I'm around her I don't feel so alone anymore… I can't really explain it beyond that." his brow furrowed once again, "It's not a romantic relationship I want from her… Not like you suggested. I just want a friend."

This evening hadn't gone quite how Gerald had planned it. He was feeling emotionally drained and frustrated with the situation. There was so much he wanted to say to Arnold, but he knew he couldn't go there… not yet. Until Arnold was ready to deal with what happened, there was no way for them to communicate properly. His best friend was locked away somewhere inside of Arnold's mind and being held prisoner by his past. Gerald didn't agree with Arnold's theory about Helga "making him forget"… he clearly hadn't forgotten anything. He was merely avoiding the inevitable.

"I'm sorry for suggesting it, okay? And I'm truly sorry for putting you in a position like this; seeking solace from someone you hardly know. I want you to understand that I've _never_ pitied you… I just wanted to be there for you. But it's obvious that you don't want me to press the subject any further… if she's the one that you choose to lean on, then that's okay with me. I'll be here for you no matter what." Gerald stepped over the paint tray to offer Arnold his fist for their handshake, "Are we cool?"

It was several tense seconds before Arnold nodded slightly and moved away from him to open the front door, "Yeah… we're cool."

* * *

**And there's chapter two for you guys! **

**So things are kind of... _tense_ between Gerald and Arnold at the moment. When I wrote that scene between them I was like "mother of God! What have I done?". But things won't ALWAYS be that way between them. And as for Arnold and Helga... yeahhh... lets face it; they're totally on the road to a tentative friendship. (or ARE they?) bahaha. Yes, this is a romance story, but that doesn't mean they instantly fall in love with one another! _Especially_ when they don't truly know one another yet.**

**In the next chapter you'll finally see Phoebe and a few other Hey Arnold characters make a brief appearance. Also expect some more angsty Arnold (his behavior WILL be fully explained eventually!) And there's also a pretty sweet Arnold/Helga moment to look forward to ;)**


	3. Bridges you cross

**Thank you thank you THANK YOU! **

**You've all been extremely kind and encouraging about this story. It really helps me stay inspired! **

**So without further ado, here's chapter three!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold!**

* * *

_"Without saying a word you can light up the dark. Try as I may I could never explain what I hear when you don't say a thing…"_

**Ronan Keating - "_When You Say Nothing At All_"**

* * *

_**** Flashback ****_

For the first time in his life Gerald was genuinely terrified. He was always expected to be the level headed '_laid back_' one. That's who he's been since he was a kid. There wasn't much that Gerald Johanssen couldn't handle… until now. To the untrained eye it seemed everything in his world was finally falling back into its usual place. He had his beloved girlfriend at his side and his career as a junior high PE teacher and basketball coach. The two of them had even saved up enough cash to finally move into a place of their own._ Everything_ was seemingly picture perfect in his life… But _perfect_ was only merely an illusion. A large piece of Gerald's life had been dangerously hanging in the balance for several months, on the verge of a meltdown of astronomical proportions-

Arnold; his best friend and confidante for as long as he could remember. The person whom _everyone_ had come to depend on for a shoulder to lean on, or an ear to listen to their woes. It was literally painful to watch Arnold falling apart at the seams and being shaken to his core and becoming someone that not even he could hardly recognize anymore. Gerald lost count of the sleepless nights he spent staring at his phone with his keys in hand, ready to rush out the front door to his friends aide. He knew he was being overprotective and possibly irrational, but what else could he do in times like this? A person could only bend so far before they break… and he knew Arnold was going to break eventually and lose what little semblance of control he had left.

And Arnold did break… Well… he _shattered_, really.

The idea had been simple enough; get Arnold out of his house for an evening of fun with another person to get his mind off of things. Gerald had enlisted the help of Arnold's on again off again girlfriend Rhonda Lloyd for the task at hand. The two of them were once airy and loquacious together… what could have gone wrong pairing them together once again? Arnold needed to talk to _someone_ after all. But Gerald hadn't factored in the possibility of Rhonda misconstruing Gerald's definition of "_getting Arnold's mind off of things_"… it was going to be his worst mistake yet.

On the night of Arnold and Rhonda's outing Gerald was surprised to find a wide eyed and pale faced Rhonda at his doorstep, shaking like a leaf. After some gentle coaxing from Phoebe she finally got Rhonda composed enough to tell them that Arnold had gone berserk and broke the coffee table in her apartment after she had graciously offered to '_make him forget_' for one night. Gerald began spitting out obscenities and questioning why the _hell_ Rhonda thought it would be a good idea to try and initiate _intimacy_ on someone who was clearly not in their right state of mind. He never heard her answer, before she could get a word in edgewise he was out the front door and heading to apologize to his best friend before it was too late.

The front door to the boarding house wasn't locked when he got there, and Gerald noticed that it was eerily quiet when he popped his head inside. "Arnold?" he called out into the silence and waited for a response. After a moment he allowed himself to come inside fully and close the door behind him. _Maybe he's upstairs_- he pondered. The stairs made and ominous creaking sound with each step he took towards the second level of the house, and there was still no noise coming from Arnold. The stairs to his room were still pulled down and he took that as an invitation. "Hey Arnold, I'm coming up!" he called out as a warning, but once again only silence answered back. "Arnold? _Arnold_?"

The room was empty like the rest of the house. Gerald was starting to feel panicked at this point and was starting to fear the worst. On his way back down Arnold's bedroom stairs he saw a shard of something shiny near the bathroom door. He pushed open the door and let out a gasp A mirror lay shattered all over the floor. If Gerald hadn't been frantic before he certainly was now. He knelt down to examine the shards for any sign of blood but didn't find any, there was a _slight_ sense of relief… but only slight. He nearly broke his neck trying to rush downstairs to check the kitchen to make sure all the knifes were accounted for. He stopped short when he saw a note on the kitchen table… and a phone. Gerald's heart sank to his stomach. "_No…_" he shakily slid the note closer to himself-

_'To Gerald, Phoebe, Rhonda, or whomever finds this note:_

_By the time you read this I'll be far from here. I can no longer stay in this house or be in this town anymore. Don't pretend that this is shocking news to you… this day was a long time coming. I know you'll want to find me and bring me back home, which I understand completely… but I need you all to understand that Hillwood is no longer my home. I don't belong here anymore. I NEED you to respect my wishes and don't attempt to find me. Besides, the person you think you're looking for has been gone for a long time…_

_I promise you that I AM alive, and I am leaving of my own free will. Things will be better this way for everyone._

_- Arnold.'_

Gerald dropped to his knees as the note hit the floor. This _couldn't_ be happening… He had tried so hard to support Arnold, and for what? Now he was gone without a second thought… he was abandoning his life and leaving everyone else to pick up the pieces of what once was. The searing tears brimming in his eyes caught him off guard, he couldn't figure out why he was crying… was it frustration? Anger?… No, he knew that it was neither of those things. He had failed his best friend. THAT was the most painful realization of all.

* * *

**_**Present day**_**

"He looks miserable."

Gerald turned his gaze in the direction Phoebe was looking. He saw Arnold sitting on a couch on the other side of the room with a blank look on his face. Gerald sighed, turning back towards his fiancé, "It's no secret that he is. I just… I really hope he can keep it together tonight."

She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and nodded in agreement. "When he agreed to help us set up your brothers house for the party I assumed he was in a better mood than this. Once everyone starts arriving and approaching him I fear he'll become agitated with all the attention."

"I know… I know. It's impossible to read him anymore! I can't talk to him about anything even if I could. We're barely on speaking terms as it is…" Over the past few weeks things had smoothed over between the two of them enough to where Gerald wasn't afraid Arnold would run off at the drop of a hat. They even had lunch together a few times since their… '_argument_'. It was obvious that Arnold had no desire whatsoever to rehash anything from the past, and if Gerald remained mum about it then they didn't have a problem being around each other. These unspoken terms sincerely bothered Gerald. It was painfully obvious that the only person Arnold _truly_ wanted to be around was that hot headed bartender.

Phoebe had finally gotten the chance to meet the mysterious woman she had heard so much about over the past few weeks when Gerald took her to Berman's for a food tasting. Helga had politely introduced herself to her, and Gerald revealed she would be the bartender at their upcoming party. Phoebe didn't notice anything overtly surly about this woman until Arnold showed up an hour later. She scowled angrily and kept calling him '_football head_', and to her surprise, Arnold simply laughed at her temperament and continued to chat with her. Phoebe had never seen anything like it before, and more importantly she had never seen Arnold that comfortable with anyone in a _long_ time.

"Do you think he'll do better once Helga gets here? They've called each other multiple times since he's been here, and her arrival seems to be the only thing he's anticipating from this party."

Gerald groaned into his palms and shook his head, "Of all the people on earth… _why_ did he have to choose HER?"

"Gerald," she sighed "Do you really think this was merely his _choice_? He feels comfortable with her and I know that hurts you because you've tried so hard-" she grasped him by the chin to meet his gaze, "But you have to let this go when it comes to it. When the time is right I know he'll talk to you about everything that's going on with him. Until that day comes you need to step aside and let Arnold go to her-"

"But she _hates_ him! Why does he want to find comfort from someone who can't stand the sight of him!" Phoebe gave him a smack on the arm when his voice began getting louder. He took a deep breath to calm himself, lowering his voice once again. "I know you're right, okay? I need to back off…"

"It's the only thing we _can_ do, sweetie." she slung his arm over her shoulder so she could wrap her arms around his waist. "It doesn't mean we're giving up on him, and he knows that."

Arnold wasn't blind or deaf… he knew Gerald and Phoebe were talking about him _again_. The two of them were huddled on the other side of the room and whispering while Gerald made frustrated hand movements and he frowned. It didn't take a genius to figure it out once Gerald glanced in Arnold's direction. He _knew_ they were talking about him. Just as Arnold was about to storm out and forget about this stupid party, his phone dinged with a new text message;

_'I'm here bozo. Come answer the door.'_

Arnold sprung from the couch and ran past his friends, "Where's the fire? Geez!" Gerald laughed.

He stopped at the front door momentarily to catch his breath before calmly opening it. "Hey Helga! How's it go-… Oh _wow._" his eyes widened exponentially at the sight of her. His mind instantly went back to the night she had called him to ask about her wardrobe for the party. '_Whatever you want, Helga… You're playing the part. Do what'll get you the most tips._' to which she replied with '_Gotcha. So, naked, then?_' Of course he knew she was kidding, but what she stood in before him left very little to a perverted males mind. He didn't know much about female fashion, but he was pretty _damn_ sure that was a mini skirt paired with a skin tight pink tank top that showed off just the _slightest _bit of her lacey black bra…

Arnold was blatantly checking over her attire, Helga was forcing herself bite her tongue. She had made a mental agreement with herself that she wasn't going to fight with him over trivial things while she was working for his friends. And to be fair, she _did_ go a little crazy 'vamping' her look for the night. She _needed_ to earn good tips… and she knew how to get it: _smile and shake it_. "Having fun there, Arnoldo? I'm pretty sure I'm here to mix drinks and look pretty… unless you hired me to stand here all night for you to gawk at-"

Her comments seemed to pull him out of his daze, "Sorry! Uh… come on in." He moved out of the way so she could enter. "The bar area is across from the DJ booth and-"

"I got it. Booze over this way. I can handle it from here." she pressed her palm against his chest to push him out of her way. After a moment he cocked his head slightly, noting the sway of her hips as she swaggered away.

"Holy _shit_." Arnold jumped at the sound of Gerald's voice next to him. "_That's _Helga?"

He cleared his throat awkwardly and nodded, "She wants good tips tonight… so she, uh…"

"Hiked her skirt and said '_come and get it_'?"

"Gerald. Don't." he warned. "She's not like that… it's completely harmless. I _encouraged_ her to entice our friends. It's supposed to be fun tonight, right?"

"Whoa, okay man! Sorry… I'm sure she's a lovely lady or whatever. I didn't mean to imply she was a wh-"

"Gerald!" Phoebe called out from across the room, gesturing for him to come over.

"Look… It's all in good fun tonight, and I get it. Just watch out for Sid and the guys. You know how they can get when there's a pretty lady around."

Arnold nodded, his eyes finding Helga on the other side of the room where she was settling in for the evening. "I brought her here… she's my responsibility."

For some reason Gerald felt that statement was much deeper to Arnold than the realm of employee/employer.

He wasn't allowed to bring it up anyway.

* * *

"Oops!" Helga's shoulders tensed at the sound of an empty plastic beer cup hitting the floor by her feet.

She looked over her shoulder and found herself surrounded by a plethora of males on the opposite side of the bar counter. Several of them gave her a cheesy grin and a wave. She decided to play along with their idiocy, "Someone has butterfingers tonight."

One of the males leaning against the bar raised their hand and gave her a lopsided grin. "Sweaty palms! It only tends to happen when I'm in the presence of a beautiful woman."

_Smile and shake it_- she mentally repeated to herself. She had their undivided attention and they weren't going away anytime soon. She made a show out of throwing her long blonde hair over her shoulder in preparation for retrieving the empty cup from the floor. As she leaned over she heard several of the men make a low whistling sound of appreciation. _God… who have I become?_ When she straightened herself out again- cup in hand, she remembered that _Arnold_ was one of the several men at the bar. The realization made her frantically turn around to see his reaction to her blatant display of the goods. She felt slightly relieved to find him not even looking in her direction, still nursing his rum and Coke and oblivious to her. For a good portion of the evening he gave her space, which she appreciated, but he still kept close like he usually does at Berman's- minus the banter. Helga wasn't certain, but tonight he seemed to be thinking about something… And she also noticed nobody really approaching him except Gerald and occasionally Phoebe. Their exchanges were brief and clipped, almost cold. According to Arnold most of these people were the people he grew up with… so why weren't they talking to him?

Helga found herself gravitating in his direction, "You gotta teach me that."

Arnold seemed to be pulled out of his stupor, briefly looking surprised at her intrusion "Excuse me?"

She gestured to the empty space around him, "The whole 'human repellent' thing you got going on here. How do you do it? That could come in handy someday!"

He laughed at that, taking a sip of his drink. "That's not a teachable skill, unfortunately. But it seems to me you wouldn't want repellent… not tonight anyway."

"I don't need it _tonight_. I need it at Berman's… you see, there's this loony guy who won't leave me the hell alone-"

"Oh?" he raised his eyebrows, "Sounds like a real asshole to me." Helga opened her mouth to respond but found herself laughing instead. Her hand instantly covered her mouth in shock. A smile tugged at the corner of Arnold's mouth, "It's okay to laugh you know… You won't burst into flames or anything, I promise."

"Well, I-"

"_Helloooooo there_!" the same man who had '_accidentally_' dropped his empty cup plopped down next to Arnold with exaggerated enthusiasm, clapping him on the shoulder and grinning like a madman.

A look of pure dread spread across his face, "Hey Sid…"

"What's up, man? Long time no talk huh?" Sid looked over at Helga and gave another ridiculous grin. "And pardon me mademoiselle, I didn't catch your name?"

She raised her eyebrow at him and gave him a once over. "Mary, Queen of Scots." she mentally scolded herself for breaking character. _Brainless girls don't quip_.

"Her name is Helga." Arnold corrected.

"Oooh, _nice_. I like it! Kind of exotic sounding don't you think, Arnold?" he didn't wait for Arnold to respond before focusing his questions back at Helga, "is there a last name to go with that beautiful first name?" Arnold seemed to be perk up, interested in her response.

"Oh no. You'll have to try a lot harder for _that_ information, Arnoldo." she smirked

"Wait… do you two know each other?" Sid looked between the two before settling on Arnold. "Oh… OHHH, I see." he nudged him with his elbow and gave him a knowing look.

"NO!" Arnold paled. "We met at Berman's… that's all." Helga was shocked when Arnold immediately rejected Sid's idea. Most guys would have jumped at the opportunity to claim they were banging a hot chick.

After Arnold's denial he didn't seem too interested in what he had to say. "Whatever you say man… So Helga, are you single?"

"Just jump right to the point why don't you?" she forced herself to hold back an eye roll.

Sid wasn't letting the question go unanswered. He continued to stare at her with his eyebrows raised. "Arnold! Oh Arnold!" a perky voice broke Sid's trance.

Helga was pretty sure she heard Arnold mutter '_fuck_' under his breath before forcing a teeth gritting smile for the woman approaching them. Helga was getting a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach after getting one look at her; she was gorgeous, bouncy, and smiled a lot. Arnold turned in his seat to greet her, he visibly tensed when she threw her arms around his shoulders in a tight hug. "Uh… Hey Lila."

She pulled back from their hug to look at him, "Oh Arnold, I'm ever so happy you decided to come! I was hoping we could catch up!" she took him by the hand and began pulling at it. "Come on! I'm ever so certain we owe ourselves at least _one_ dance tonight." When he was finally pulled from his seat he looked back at Helga. His eyes looked frantic. It left Helga wondering; _Who the heck was this chick_?

"Have fun out there loverboy." she waved her hand dismissively at them as they walked away. Helga went back to the other guests of the party and continued to serve them. Sid stayed in the same spot and continued to make inappropriate comments. After a while he was joined by another man much lankier than him. At some point in their conversation Sid informed him that Arnold had showed up, this made Helga pay closer attention. This wasn't the first time someone commented about Arnold being here. She subtly tried scooting closer towards them to hear what they were saying without being too obvious.

"How'd he look?" the other man inquired. Helga also took note of his distinctive southern accent.

"Like shit!" Sid exclaimed, arms waving animatedly. "Boy howdy, I knew it had gotten pretty bad but I didn't know he slipped THAT far. He looks like a ghost or something." Helga's brow furrowed at that. A '_ghost_'? What the hell were they talking about? "Lila got her happy little hooks in him now… so if _she_ can't get his head on straight, _nobody _can!"

"_Jeez_" she muttered under her breath. She couldn't help but wonder _who_ exactly Arnold was, and why was everyone so worried about him?

* * *

As soon as they finished dancing, Arnold tried making a break for it without making a scene. "Where are you going?" Lila grabbed his arm, frowning.

His patience was running _extremely_ thin. He could only take so much of her before he lost it. He never quite understood why he was so enamored with her as a kid. "I need a drink." he pointed towards the bar area.

"I was hoping to spend some time with you Arnold! Like we used to?" she smiled up at him hopefully. As much as he didn't like it, he still had a heart. How could he say no? He finally relented and followed her to the couch so they could 'talk'. Talking wasn't exactly something Arnold was comfortable with. It often led to subjects he was NOT willing to delve it. They sat side by side, facing one another. Neither of them spoke for a few moments. It dawned on Lila that this wasn't exactly _easy conversation _like it used to be between them. "So," she began "Uh… how are you?"

_Seriously_?

He frowned slightly at her question. How did she expect him to answer? "I'm… getting by."

"Gerald told a lot of us that you weren't staying in town for long, is that true?"

"He's right. I'm leaving not long after the wedding, or at least I hope so." he began nervously biting on his bottom lip and avoiding her gaze.

"But _why_! Oh Arnold… this is ever so sad. Is this about the boarding house? I'm sure you could sell it and find somewhere else to live-"

"I'm not staying here Lila. End of story." he made sure to glare at her, hoping it would deter this subject from continuing.

His skin felt scorching hot the moment she laid her hand upon his. Their eyes met, and Arnold knew he was going to be sick. _Pity_… that was all he saw. "I know you've been going through a really hard time-" Arnold was currently experiencing heart palpitations. He was doing everything possible to mentally calm himself, including trying to ignore Lila's voice. "but running away from here isn't the answer! Everyone is here to offer you support."

"_Stop it._" he whispered, pulling his hand from underneath hers.

"You _need_ to talk about this Arnold… You cant keep running away from it. You need to come to terms-"

"STOP IT GOD DAMMIT!" he shot up from the couch. "I don't want to talk about it! Get it through your thick skull!" Lila jumped back in her seat with a yelp, her bottom lip trembling. Half of the room suddenly became deathly silent at his outburst. His pulse was racing and his hands were hurting from clenching them so tightly at his sides. Gerald frantically made his way through their friends and stopped just a few feet away from him. Arnold glanced over towards the bar… his heart sunk into his stomach. Helga was staring at him with wide eyes and looking just as confused as the rest of the guests.

Helga heard the commotion on the other side of the room but was flabbergasted to find it was Arnold shouting obscenities. When their eyes met from across the room Helga could see his eyes darken. It made her blood run cold. His eyes were feral… he looked ready to fall apart. He was surrounded by gawking individuals who were suddenly afraid of him. Nobody said a word, they were all waiting to see what he would do…

He ran.

"Holy freakin' shit." Sid expelled a long breath. "He's lost his goddamn mind." Without thinking much about it Helga threw her apron on the counter and walked out from the bar. "Whoa, where are you going?"

"It's time for my break." she muttered.

In all honesty Helga had no idea what the hell she was doing, or why. She realized that maybe, _ just_ maybe she wanted to make sure he was okay. She grabbed her jacket and followed him out the door he exited from. There was several cars parked all over the neighborhood and it was rather dark. The only real light was coming from the moon. She walked down towards the street and glanced down both ways. _Bingo_- she spotted him pacing back and forth several yards away. She made sure to approach him slowly to give him time to see who it was. When she was about 7 feet away he finally realized someone was there with him. He had stopped pacing.

"Helga?" when she got close enough to make out the features of his face she saw that he had calmed down considerably. "What are you doing out here?"

She wrapped her jacket more firmly around her frame and rocked on the balls of her feet. "It was time for my break, I wanted some fresh air. You don't mind do you?"

Arnold studied her face very intensely. He was looking for _any_ trace of worry or concern… or if Gerald had sent her. She seemed passive and calm, no real discernible emotions showed. He moved over towards his car and sat down on the hood with a thud and rested his chin on his fist. "… I don't mind." she didn't wait for an invitation to join him on the hood. She silently walked over and plopped down to his left. They sat in silence for what felt like an hour. Neither of them said a word about what had just transpired in the house. He wasn't sure _why_ she wasn't inquiring about it, and it was bothering him to the point of paranoia. "You're not saying anything." he muttered.

She turned her head slightly to look at his profile, "Sometimes silence is the only escape we have in this crazy world."

His brow furrowed slightly in thought. So she didn't _want _to say anything? Or she didn't _need_ to? He turned to meet her gaze, the confusion still plainly etched on his face. She didn't offer him any sort of explanation. Her mouth turned to a small smile before she moved her head back towards the sky. A chill ran up his spine when she intentionally brushed her shoulder against his, almost like a form of nonverbal communication; _Just relax, football head!_- It hit him like a sack of bricks; Helga was just respecting his privacy… she was _there_ for him in the most simple way possible… and she didn't have to say a word while she was. He didn't know how long he was staring at her before he found himself smiling softly back at her. What started out as a regular November night had turned into utter chaos, but for some reason it felt like none of those things mattered anymore. Now he was sitting on the hood of his car in the dead of night with someone who was essentially just a beautiful stranger, and it was silent… and for the first time it didn't bother him.

Neither of them pretended to notice when he leaned his shoulder against hers, or when she leaned on him in return… except for a certain couple watching from a few feet behind them.

"_I can't believe it_." Gerald whispered.

"_Shh_." his fiancée placed a finger to her lips and guided him back into the house.

It had been a _long_ time since Gerald wasn't scared out of his mind to walk away from Arnold after he's had an episode. Helga had diffused him quicker than _anyone_ ever had- or could. She didn't need to say a damn thing to do it either…

When they closed the front door Phoebe took one last look at the two of them through the curtain, "You know… I've got a strange feeling this wont be the last time we'll ever see Helga." she smiled knowingly.

* * *

**And there you have it! (I told ya they were gonna have a moment!) haha.**

**Just WAIT for chapter 4...**

**the real hard hitting stuff is coming!**


	4. Through different eyes

**A warning to everyone partaking in this chapter: This is basically 100 percent Arnold and Helga related stuff. There's brief appearances by two other people but that's about it. So don't be surprised when you finish the chapter and realize there was NOBODY else in here! haha**

**Also, I'm sorry it took a few extra days for me to get this chapter out. (jury duty is a motherfucker!)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold!**

* * *

"_I know how it feels to be broken hearted, falling apart, it's true. But you were the one that brought me back, now it's my turn to be there for you…" _

**Kari Kimmel - "**_**Call Me"**_

* * *

_****December****_

The bar was quiet tonight. Well, it was _always_ kind of quiet. But something about tonight seemed off to Helga. There were only three men sitting at the bar, one of them Arnold. He still continued to show up every week, sometimes TWICE a week if he was extra bored. Helga had grown weary from constantly trying to shoo Arnold away. It was clear that he was bound and determined to stick to her like glue. She just wished he would stop asking so many damn _questions_.

"So Helga, are you ever going to tell me your last name?" he took a sip of his drink and watched her reaction over the rim of his glass. She was rolling her eyes at him once again. As soon as the glass left his mouth a wet rag was thrown at his face. "Hey!" he laughed, throwing the rag back at her.

She caught the rag mid air and went over towards his seat at the bar and leaned against the counter to give him a pointed glare. "Why on _earth_ would I ever tell you my last name? And more importantly, why is it so imperative to you anyway? What difference would it make?"

He considered her question for a moment, "I know nothing about you, Helga-"

"That's an understatement." she muttered

"_But_," he continued a little more forcefully this time "There's something about you… something… that makes me feel like I've known you forever." Helga's eyes widened at this. Taking her silence as permission to go on, he continued his rambling "I might not know when your birthday is, or your favorite food… but I still feel like I know you somehow. It's like… I _see_ you…" his voice began drifting off into a whisper. "I just want to fill in the blanks."

Helga was completely frozen in place. How on earth was she supposed to respond that? She knew Arnold was clinging on to her for some reason, but she never would have thought it was because he felt an actual emotional attachment to her that _wasn't _sexual somehow. Helga was broken from her trance when Arnold began squirming on his stool and looking embarrassed about his odd confession. "I love… pizza." she finished lamely. _Stupid! STUPID!_ She mentally scolded herself. It seems blurting out random things was becoming a very bad habit of hers.

Arnold raised his eyebrows slightly at her. She was flushed in embarrassment and he didn't know what to make of it. He decided it was best to refrain from commenting about it, considering he was always walking on thin ice with her. He lowered his head slightly to catch her gaze, "I love pizza, too." he smiled reassuringly. "Favorite toppings?"

She seemed to be less flustered now and returned to her relaxed stance against the counter. Arnold could have sworn he also saw a smirk form at the corner of her mouth. "Anything with meat."

As Helga began staring off into space at the thought of pizza, Arnold was struck with an idea. "You know, all this talk about pizza is making me hungry." Her eyes drifted back to his, narrowing ever so slightly as if she was trying to figure his intentions out. It's what she _always_ did when she looked at him. "I'm thinking about picking one up for dinner." he glanced at his watch, "And your break is in an hour…"

"I'm not going anywhere with _you_ Arnoldo."

"What if I brought it here instead?" he smiled. "No funny business, just pizza!"

There was a prickling sensation across Helga's skin when she watched him grinning like an idiot at her, "You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?" His smile only grew as he shook his head. "Get out of here!" she rolled her eyes. "And make it snappy. I'm hungry!"

"Yes ma'am." he snickered and mock-saluted to her as he backed up towards the exit. Helga's eyes never left the door he exited from. She wasn't sure if she was going to be dreading his return or anticipating it, after all… she _did_ love pizza.

"He's too adorable, you know." the sound of Patty's voice behind her caused her to yelp in surprise.

Helga took a second to compose herself before firing back, "Your definition of adorable clearly differs from mine. Puppies and kittens are adorable. Arnold on the other hand? He's like a raccoon that hangs around your house and knocks over your garbage cans every night."

"You know, you're trying _really_ hard to convince me that he's an annoyance to you. But I think it's kind of funny how you humor him." Patty noted that Helga refused to turn around and look at her while she spoke. "Gerald told me you left the party to be with Arnold, and yet you still got paid in full. Call me crazy but it sounds like you two are becoming quite the lovebirds-"

Helga whirled around to glare at her. "We're NOT lovebirds! There's absolutely nothing going on between us. Besides, I don't have to explain what happened the night of the party and I'm never going to."

Patty held her hands up in defeat and laughed, "Okay, okay! Calm down. I wasn't trying to light your fuse or anything. I'm sorry!"

"It's fine." she muttered, turning her attention back to the door.

Over the next thirty minutes the last few patrons of the bar had left, leaving Helga and Patty to their own devices. Patty wound up leaving Helga to watch over the bar so she could take care of a delivery coming in for the restaurant. Apparently the delivery man had been trying to overcharge them and she was intent on giving this man a piece of her mind. Helga only hoped that guy didn't have a weak constitution. The last thing Berman's needed was a lawsuit.

As Helga was getting ready to pull out one of her favorite novels from the bottom shelf of the counter the bell at the front door chimed. She popped her head up over the counter to acknowledge whoever came through the door. Her blood ran cold when she realized who exactly just walked in. A cold sweat formed at Helga's brow and her hands were clinging tightly to the rag she was using earlier. Neither one of them said anything for what seemed like minutes before he casually moved closer to where she stood behind the bar. Her body tensed when he was within grabbing distance.

"You're a difficult woman to find, you know that?" his eyes roved over her attire before settling on her face. "What's it been? Almost two years?" Everything inside Helga told her to punch him in the face and run for her life, but she knew she'd never be able to do that… not to _him_. Her mouth was dry and her limbs were frozen in place. "I gotta say, I never pictured you as a bartender. But it kinda suits you." he reached into his back pocket to grab some money from his wallet. "Hook a guy up with a pint. You know what I like." he winked.

She briefly stared at the money he was holding out towards her before hesitantly reaching out and taking it from him, their fingers brushed slightly as she did. Her hands were shaking only the slightest bit as she poured him his beer, and as she set the drink in front of him, her voice decided to come back to her. "W-… why did you find me, Wolfgang?" Helga felt absolutely ridiculous for sounding so stupid when she tried to communicate with him. She knew he _loved_ watching her squirm because of him. _You're not the same person, Helga_. She reminded herself.

His lips quirked to the side in a smirk, "You disappeared on me! I wondered what happened to you-"

"Nearly two years later? It took you THAT long?" Helga knew he was full of crap. That was Wolfgang's specialty: _lying. _It just took Helga far too long to realize that he couldn't change… by then it was too late.

Her irritation only seemed to amuse him, "You still have a fire in you. I always liked that." He produced a piece of paper from his other pocket and tossed it on the counter. It was a flyer that read:

'_RAVE. _

_SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7 IN HILLWOOD._

_LOCATION AND TIME BY WORD OF MOUTH ONLY'_

"And why the _hell_ would I care about this?" she slid the flyer back towards him.

"Come on Helga! You used to _live_ for this type of thing. Remember all the good times we used to have together?"

"It was NEVER a good time with you Wolfgang. I was young and stupid and I didn't know any better. Do yourself a favor and go find yourself another party girl. That part of my life is over now." the very thought of going anywhere with Wolfgang made her sick. She spent so long trying to forget about her time spent with him, but the moment she saw him again she was instantly reminded of all of her past mistakes. She _never_ wanted to remember the hell he put her through. "I think you should leave now. And don't come back. I have no desire to see you ever again."

Wolfgang hunched over the counter on his forearms and regarded her with mild amusement, "Why are you suddenly pretending you're Mother Teresa? We both know that isn't true… You were always turning tricks back in the day-"

"You shut the _fuck_ up, Wolfgang. I NEVER sold my body to anyone-"

"No, just your heart." his brown eyes darkened and his grin grew. "Too bad it was a broken, useless thing to begin with-" Helga finally snapped and took a swing at him from across the counter, but Wolfgang had better reflexes. He grabbed her by her forearm and held it tightly. Helga didn't have enough sense to use her other arm, she could only focus on the pressure being put in her left arm. "Do you still think about me, Helga? Did you keep all the poems and shrines?" his grip tightened and caused Helga to howl in pain, "You're pathetic, and that's the only reason I ever gave you a second glance. You were _easy._"

Helga clenched her teeth and glared at him through the tears forming in her eyes, "_Fuck you._"

"We both know that's already been done-"

"What's going on here?" Wolfgang and Helga both turned their heads towards the front door. Arnold was standing in the entryway with a pizza box resting in his palm and a look of complete bewilderment on his face. "Helga?" it only took him a moment before realizing she had tears in her eyes. He abandoned the pizza at a nearby table and rushed over towards them "You let her go right now!" when Wolfgang ignored his request he slammed his fist against the counter to get his attention "LET. HER. GO."

"Arnold, stop. It's fine-" she shook her arm until Wolfgang nonchalantly released her. "Just go, okay?"

"Do you think I'm stupid? He was _hurting_ you!" he glanced down at her reddened arm "Are you alright?"

"Look here Casanova, I think Helga can take care of herself just fine. We were only talking. Who are you anyway?" Wolfgang looked back and forth at the two of them before settling on Helga, "Oh… new boyfriend, huh?" Helga wasn't given a chance to respond before Wolfgang opened his big fat mouth up again, this time he spoke directly to Arnold. "Let me give you a word of advice about this one; she isn't worth your time. _Trust_ me." he lifted his glass of beer to take a sip, "She's a cheap lay-"

Arnold smacked the mug of beer from Wolfgang's hand. It shattered against the counter, sending beer and shards of glass all over the place. "Don't _ever_ speak about a woman that way! Who the hell do you think you are?"

Once again Wolfgang avoided Arnold's questioning, instead he was focused on his now ruined drink. "I was gonna finish that you know."

"I suggest you leave." he growled. "Helga doesn't want you here."

Helga had seen this type of body language between males before, and she knew where this would be heading if one of them didn't leave soon. "Would you two just _stop_? Please! I-"

"Just let it go, man." Wolfgang stepped closer to Arnold and poked him in the chest. "You don't want my sloppy seconds anyway. She's nothing but a slut-"

_CRUNCH_

"NO!" Helga closed her eyes and grimaced at the sound of bones being broken.

"_You mother fucker!_" Helga caught a brief glimpse of Wolfgang clutching his nose and stumbling back. He wasted no time before pouncing on Arnold and knocking them to the floor in an all out brawl.

"STOP IT! ARNOLD! WOLFGANG!" neither of them listened to her cries. The sounds of grunting and punching were the only things they could hear. Helga threw herself over the counter to break them apart before the bar got trashed by the two enraged males. "Fuck!" she screeched once she made it to the other side of the counter. A searing pain ripped through her left hand. In her moment of panic she had forgotten about the broken glass that was scattered across the counter. Helga hesitantly held up her hand for a quick examination. Blood was oozing from several different cuts on her hand and forearm. Her head began spinning at the sight of so much blood. _Oh no_..

The last thing Helga remembered was darkness overcoming her and a sharp pain in her forehead… and a distinct voice shouting "_Helga!_"

* * *

"_Helga_"

.

.

.

"_Helga, wake up_"

.

.

.

"_I need you to wake up_"

The only thing Helga knew she needed right now was an ice pack. She was slowly coming to, and her head was already pounding. "Ugh…" her face contorted at the persistent sharp pain in her hand.

"Helga?" she was aware that someone was currently touching the contour of her face. "Okay… So I guess I need the smelling salt after all."

A few seconds later Arnold was relieved to see Helga's blue eyes open once again. One hand was supporting her head while the other held the salt under her nose, "get that crap away from me!" she groaned, pushing his hand with the salt away from her nose. Helga tried wiggling around and discovered they were in a booth in the back of the bar. How did she end up pressed against the back wall with Arnold blocking her in?

"Helga! Oh thank God. I was so afraid you wouldn't wake up for me." he ran his thumb across her cheek and smiled. Feeling much too close for her liking, Helga reached up towards his wrist to pull his hand off of her face. As soon as she wrapped her fingers around his wrist she paused and looked at him. For someone who just came out of a fight with Wolfgang he didn't have many injuries to his face.

She realized their position after a few seconds and roughly pulled his hand away from her. "Don't touch me EVER again!"

"Helga-"

"Let me out of here!" she leaned forward to push him. A rush of blood went to her head from moving so quickly. "Ow! Shit." she used her right hand to touch her forehead and was shocked to discover a bandage over it.

"I still need to get the rest of the glass out of your hand and disinfect it, Helga. And I need you to calm down. You hit your head pretty hard against the bar." he grasped her left hand to continue pulling glass out.

Before he could get the tweezers near her skin she pulled away from him again, "Stop touching me! Do you seriously think I want YOU as my personal nurse? You're not a doctor bucko."

"Helga!" he stopped the hand that was currently pushing against his chest and held it loosely in his. "My first instinct was to take you to the hospital, but Patty told me you don't have health insurance. So I offered to help-"

"You're not a doctor!" she screeched, "I'm going to be hideously scarred and brain damaged thanks to you!"

"For your information, I used to be in medical school." he frowned at her lack of faith in him. "I would _never_ do anything if I thought it would harm you permanently."

The seriousness in Arnold's voice made her falter. "Medical school?"

"It's a long story." he muttered. "It's not important right now, but if you'd let me… I want to help you. You don't need stitches, and it doesn't seem like you have a concussion." he looked down at their joined hands and realized that Helga hadn't pulled away from him yet. "I need you to trust me."

It took Helga several moment of consideration before she held out her wounded hand with her palm up, giving her consent. "Just get it over with football head."

Around thirty minutes later Arnold finished patching her up, it took far longer than he anticipated, mainly because of Helga squirming around and hollering at him. She wasn't exactly an easy patient. She was even more upset when he informed her that she shouldn't be alone that night because of her head injury. She needed someone around to make sure everything was alright, at least for one night. While Helga had been passed out Arnold had discussed everything with Patty and she agreed to take Helga in for the night.

"I see you're awake now." Patty came in through the swinging doors from the restaurant. She plopped down on the other side of the booth and studied Helga's injuries. "What happened exactly? Arnold could only tell me so much."

Helga glanced sideways at Arnold, wishing he wasn't here to listen to everything. "Wolfgang showed up… I guess he's been looking for me recently. There's a rave next Saturday here in town so it's no wonder he ended up here. He wanted me to go with him."

"Ugh… what a _pig_." she grumbled. "Well, you'll be happy to know I kicked him out of here and told him I'd call the police if he showed his face here again."

"You mean… I'm not fired?"

"Of course not! Why would I fire you over this? You can't control what that moron does. He's just lucky I didn't see all this happen, he would have been walking out of here with one less testicle."

Arnold began snickering and Helga elbowed his side, "And why are you laughing, Rocky? I'm pretty sure YOU should be banned from here too."

"Helga, he gave Wolfgang _exactly_ what he had coming to him. He's more than welcome here at Berman's." Helga let out a low growl under her breath and crossed her arms dramatically in front of her. "Look, I think we've had enough excitement for one night. How about we get out of here? It's closing time anyway."

"I probably should be getting home too…" Arnold scooted out of the booth and finally gave Helga an opening to leave. Before she got up he held out his hand to her to help her up, "I don't want you to fall again."

"I'm not going to fall, Arnoldo." she defiantly slapped his hand away from her and stood up. Her knees buckled under her weight and she stumbled right into Arnold's arms.

He set his hands at her waist and helped prop her up on her feet, "I guess sometimes we just can't control it."

* * *

The past 24 hours seemed like a blur to Helga. One moment everything was fine and dandy and the next she's dealing with a past she would rather pretend didn't exist, and then winds up unconscious in the arms of a stranger who's caused her nothing but confusion. Why did this happen? And since when was Arnold her knight in shining armor? Nothing made sense to Helga anymore.

She couldn't sleep the entire night she was at Patty and Harold's place, she couldn't stop _thinking_. Arnold had stood up for her… _nobody_ had done something like that for her before. He looked so relieved when she had woken up after the incident. It was almost as if he was truly worried about her. The more Helga thought about it the more it was chipping away at her conscience… Had she been too harsh on him? Had she judged him too quickly? But more that anything… she realized she never thanked him for helping her.

"_I can't believe I'm doing this_." she muttered under her breath. She checked the piece of paper in her hand one last time before approaching the old house with a sign that read '_Sunset Arms_'. She raised her fist and knocked on the door repeatedly before she lost her nerve. "_What the hell am I doing_? _I'm an idiot!_" a few moments later there was a shuffling sound behind the door before it opened. Arnold was dressed in a shirt and sweats that were covered in dry paint splatter, he also had paint splattered on his hands and arms. "Uh… Hey, Arnold." she rocked back and forth on her heels and awkwardly rubbed her arms.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise once he realized he wasn't imagining things. "Helga? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

"Are you gonna invite a girl in or does she have to freeze out here?"

"Oh!" he opened the door a little wider and grinned sheepishly, "Come on in. Just… don't mind the mess." Helga was surprised to find that the house wasn't really a _mess_ like he claimed it was, but it was obvious that the house was being redecorated. "Let me get your coat." he set his hands on her shoulders and helped her shimmy out of her thick winter coat. While Arnold was taking care of her coat, Helga had wandered into what she presumed to be the living room. The walls were bare and there was only a single couch in the room. The place looked abandoned. "So how did you find out where I live?" Arnold was leaning in the doorway and watching her examining the room.

She shrugged her shoulders and looked away from him, "A woman has her ways." The answer seemed to satisfy him for now. "You live here all alone?"

"Yes."

"You're redecorating, I see."

"Yep." Arnold didn't like the shift in questioning between them, it was usually _him_ asking all the questions about her. He didn't like being the center of attention. "So are you going to tell me why you came over?" Helga stopped pacing across the room and glanced in his direction, "Well?"

She left her spot in the middle of the room and stood closer to him, close enough to see his reaction properly. "Why?… Why did you do it?"

Without missing a beat he pushed himself off the doorway and fully stood up. "He crossed the line the moment he put his hands on you. I could never forgive myself for walking away without doing something." there was a question lingering in the back of Arnold's mind as to why Helga took the time out of her day to actually come _see_ him. She barely tolerated him as it is, so why did she actually take the time and effort to find him?

This whole experience was new to Helga. She's never had a reason to thank someone quite like this before. This was new and foreign territory. She decided to approach the subject with caution to avoid looking and sounding ridiculous, "Look Arnold," she cleared her throat and took a deep breath. Her eyes met his briefly before focusing on the floor. "Nobody's… uh… Nobody's ever… done something like this for me before. I've always taken care of myself while everyone else idly watched me struggle from a distance. That's all I've ever known- ugh… I'm getting sidetracked! Look, what I'm trying to say is… Thank you." and just like that, she said it. It was over. She didn't spontaneously combust or drop dead from showing gratitude to someone else.

"You're welcome, Helga." he smiled. Though he knew Helga would deny it later he could have sworn he saw her smile at him too. "So how are you feeling today?"

Helga subconsciously touched the bandage on her forehead and shrugged, "I feel like I got hit by a truck, but other than that I suppose I'm alright."

"Do you… want to sit down, maybe?" this was _obviously_ his subtle attempt at keeping her around.

"Alright football head, I'll bite." she went over to the couch and ungracefully plopped down. "You got me here… now what?"

"_Hmm_…" he sat down on the other end of the couch and turned to face her.

"I've got pepper spray, just sayin'."

"You wouldn't have willingly come into my home if you thought I was going to attack you." he chuckled. "But I _would_ like to ask you a question… that's if you don't mind."

_Sigh_

"Fine. But I only answer at my discretion."

He nodded in agreement, "Fair enough… So, uh… what's the deal with your ex-boyfriend? Was he always that… _misogynistic_?"

"Whoa there, bucko!" she held her hands up and shook her head back and forth, "Wolfgang is _not_ my ex… we were never together. Not really, anyway."

"Wait… _what_? But he said you were his… um…"

"Sloppy seconds, I believe those are the words he used." she grumbled to herself, scooting down in her seat. "Look, it's complicated and ugly… and I plan on spending the rest of my life forgetting."

He watched Helga's body language shift, cocking his head to the side as he did so. "You really cared about him… didn't you?"

Her eyes drifted to his and held his stare for several seconds, "No, Arnold. I didn't just care about him. I worshiped the ground he walked on for over 18 years. I was _in love _with him." it was hard for Arnold to wrap his mind around the thought of Helga being in love with someone.

"Was he always so…?" he was having trouble finding the right words to describe Wolfgang.

"Terrible? Conniving? Rude? Careless?… yes, he's always been like that. Even when we were kids. I met Wolfgang on the playground at our preschool… he shoved me off the swings and called me '_Pinkie_'. When I asked him why, he said it was because of the pink bow in my hair. It was the strangest thing… even though he was absolutely horrible to me, I was enthralled that someone was paying attention to me. My family life has never exactly been… _solid_. My parents hardly knew my name, and my older sister was too busy being their prized trophy to pay attention to me either. I was all alone at three years old…"

"So you became attached to Wolfgang's attention, even if it was negative?"

"Yes." she nodded. "I had no clue what love was supposed to be like… nobody had ever showed me. All I knew was he was paying attention to me, and I didn't want to lose that human contact. It made me feel… _alive_. Like I mattered. So I spent the next 18 years following him around, hiding in the shadows and worshiping him from afar. I wrote countless poems about him, I even made shrines in his honor-"

"Whoa… _wow_. That's…" his eyes widened.

"Insane, I know. And the worst part? He knew I was in love with him… he always used it to his advantage. I did pretty much every single one of his English assignments from grades 5 to 8, all the while I continued to let him treat me like garbage. He had absolutely _no_ interest in dating me. After we graduated high school I thought it would be a good idea to follow him to college." she scoffed at the memory and rolled her eyes, "Things only got more complicated after that."

Arnold leaned forward, engrossed in her story. "What happened?"

The memory or her college days made Helga feel sick. She remembered feeling _so_ elated at the time. "He changed his mind about me… sort of."

"Meaning?"

"I still remember it like it was yesterday." she stared off into space as the memory clouded her mind, "He approached me while I was studying in the library. I remember it was weird because he didn't call me Pinkie, or make any other quips at me. He was actually kinda nice… at the time. There was some kind of party going on that night and Wolfgang wanted _me_ to go with him. I had never been so happy in my entire life… He actually _wanted_ me. So of course I agreed, and we went together. It didn't take me very long to realize it was nothing but a bunch of college kids gathering together to do drugs and get wasted. I felt so out of place… but Wolfgang offered me a drink and told me to loosen up, and that was it… that was the start of it all. I got so drunk that night I can hardly remember what happened, and that includes losing my virginity to him in an upstairs bedroom. Everything was a blur, and in the morning when I woke up next to him with hardly any recollection of what happened I swore to myself that I wouldn't let it get so out of control ever again… But it did. Repeatedly. It became our normal routine, we'd hardly speak to one another during the week, but once the weekend came around we were two party animals that couldn't keep our hands off of each other. There was no relationship between us… it was only his relationship with ecstasy and booze and his love for partying and sex."

Helga bit her lip and clenched her eyes shut. There were too many painful memories revolving around Wolfgang. The memories only reminded her of how _stupid_ she was for so long. "During a particularly long night of partying I woke up in someone's bathroom, face down in a puddle of my own vomit, and nobody else to be found. I cleaned my face off and looked through the house for Wolfgang…" tears began burning at the corner of her eyes, "I found him in one of the bedrooms… fucking another girl."

"Oh no… Helga-" he reached out towards her but she retracted.

"He was so damn nonchalant about it! I screamed and screamed at him to get that whore off of him, but I distinctly remember the look in his eyes as he kept going at it with her… and the way he said '_You snooze you lose, Pinkie. I needed a bitch who could finish the job!_'." Helga covered her mouth to contain a sob. "_I'm sorry!_" she mumbled through her fingers, "_I'm an idiot, you didn't need to hear this shit_-"

Arnold never let her finish her sentence, he quickly scooted across the couch and took her in his arms to let her cry. Arnold knew some people in this world were just plain evil… but he couldn't believe someone could do something like that to _her_. Helga was always trying to show how strong she is and that she didn't need anyone, but inside she was hurting just like so many others. "I'm glad you told me, Helga." from the moment he grabbed her she willingly fallen into his embrace and clung tightly to the front of his shirt as she quietly sobbed. He soothingly stroked her back and held her in silence, waiting for her sobbing to ease.

After a while she had calmed down enough to speak again, "_Pataki_."

This caught him off guard, "Excuse me?"

She lifted her head from his chest so she could look at him. He noticed her eyes were a beautiful shade cerulean from all the tears, "My name… is Helga Pataki."

Arnold's heart swelled a little at the new level they reached in their friendship. She had finally trusted him enough to at least say who she was, and to share a piece of her past with him. He took her hand in his and shook it gently, "Arnold Shortman." despite his happiness, a pang of guilt overcame him when she made no attempt to hide her smile from him. Was it really going to be possible for them to be friends if she knew the truth someday? He was too afraid to think about it right now…

"Do you want to go get lunch or something? I kind of feel like I owe you… after everything." she offered.

"Sure, Helga… that sounds great!" he stood up off the couch and offered his hand out to her to pull her up. For the second time that day when Arnold touched her, Helga felt a fluttering in her chest. It was small, insignificant really. But for some reason it wasn't going away. "Just let me get changed first!" He smiled at her and the fluttering increased… she realized it wasn't fluttering.

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**Ohhhhh mannnn...**

**So there you go. I always intended for Helga to realize her feelings were beyond friendship first, I felt like it would be more true to the actual show (even though in reality she fell for him INSTANTLY). As for Wolfgang, it was PAINFUL for me to go there with him. Everyone knows I ADORE him, especially if you've read "Supernova". But when I thought about it, he was the perfect vessel to use as Helga's first love interest. Can you IMAGINE how horrible it would be for Helga to love this version of Wolfgang her entire life instead of Arnold? I decided to leave the majority of her life experiences with him to your imagination. I think we can all figure that it was highly unpleasant and quite lonely for her.**

**As for what's to come in chapter 5:**

**You'll FINALLY know what happened that screwed Arnold up so badly. Some of you have caught on, but nobody's suggested WHAT exactly happened, just the general idea who its based around. SPOILER ALERT: _It's not his parents_!**

**The wedding will be happening next chapter! (yay!)**

**And of course, MORE Arnold and Helga stuff will be coming your way. It's all about it get a little more complicated my friends!**


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